At home, on the wall of his living room, a vision board lays out Zharnel Hughes’ grandest ambitions.
Breaking a British 100m record which had stood for 30 years does not simply happen by chance.
The dreams are plotted, then achieved through dedication. That is how Hughes was able to predict his 9.83-second run in New York last month, to the hundredth detail, eclipsing Linford Christie’s performance at the 1993 World Championships.
There is another target on the vision board, but it is likely it will not be widely shared until it has been realised.
“I can’t say the time but it’s going to happen,” Hughes teases. “I’m hoping it will be at the World Championships, when it really matters.
“The board has pictures of me accomplishing goals from last season and further back. The times are there too but, for the times to come, the execution must come first,” the 27-year-old tells BBC Sport.
Not limited to track and field goals alone, other life goals are mapped out before him.
You don’t become a qualified pilot by accident, either.
Hughes fulfilled a childhood ambition in 2018 when he successfully completed flight school, a moment set in motion when he was allowed to sit in the cockpit of a small plane on a journey from Anguilla, his country of birth, to the British Virgin Islands.
Captivated, he has come a long way since that unfazed 10-year-old was warned not to touch anything that day in the cockpit – despite his wishes.
“It’s the most beautiful thing,” says the reigning European 200m champion.
“The scenery you get, the whole vibe of hearing other pilots on the frequencies, listening to the engines. It’s just amazing knowing you’re in control.
“It’s an amazing accomplishment and its something I’ve always had a passion for.”
A move to Jamaica, where he undertook his pilot training, proved life changing in every way.
There, he continued his athletics development in the presence of the nation’s sprinting legends Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, and under the guidance of Glen Mills – the coach who helped Bolt achieve his eight Olympic titles.
“I remember being star struck,” Hughes says.
“Seeing Usain Bolt for the first time, this was a guy I had seen on TV, someone I was always Youtubing, watching his videos to learn how to run fast like him.
“It’s one of those moments where you have to pinch yourself.”
It was, he admits, a surreal time but he has since become good friends with the two fastest men in history, who would frequently address him as ‘captain’ and ‘skipper’ down at the famous Racers Track Club in Kingston.
“They were the athletes that inspired me to be the athlete that I am today,” says Hughes. “Being in their presence only motivated me to work even harder.
“These guys were already at the top. To see the work ethic they had, the tenacity day in, day out and the way they pushed each other, I was just happy to be around those guys, they’re legends.”
In addition to having the same base and coach, comparisons between Hughes and Bolt have naturally followed due to their similar frames.
Both comfortably over 6ft tall, such height makes a clean, quick start difficult.
Fortunately for Hughes, his coach is well versed in harnessing that apparent disadvantage.
“He knows what it takes to be up there with the greatest guys in the world. I respect him highly and he is like a father figure,” Hughes says of Mills, who has focused on the athlete’s running mechanics – particularly out of the blocks.
“Coach has said to me many times that me and Usain have similar traits, which he is accustomed to.
“We’re not bullet starters like everyone else but, once we get upright and into our running, we are going to be powering down the track. That’s what he likes to see.”
It was announced on Thursday that Fred Kerley and Noah Lyles, the reigning world champions over 100m and 200m respectively, will join Hughes when he competes over the longer distance at the London Diamond League on 23 July.
It’s a challenge which the fastest man in the world this year is relishing as he builds towards the World Championships in Budapest in August and, while not an outright target, he admits achieving a second British record in as many months, on home soil, would be “very exciting”.
The Briton’s immediate target is a sprint double at the UK Championships in Manchester this weekend, 8-9 July, which also includes the world trials.
“I’m looking forward to competing. I love what I do. I have fun now and I’m more relaxed because I work hard,” says Hughes.
“These are the moments to go out there and show to the world that I’ve been working.
“I’m so grateful that I was able to achieve something I’ve wanted to achieve for a long time. At the same time, the job isn’t done yet, but everything is coming together right now.”
